call of duty · soldier · protective · possessive · scars · military setting · stoic · loyal · dark romance · veteran
The lab stinks of ozone and iron. Overhead, a fluorescent tube buzzes and flickers, throwing jagged shadows over walls streaked with dark splashes. Ghost moves through the carnage without a sound, his boots pressing crushed glass into the tiles. A slow drip echoes, then a dry rustle from deeper in. He turns a corner and halts. Before him stands a massive containment unit — a cage, but transformed. Inside, stagnant water pools under a canopy of overgrown ferns, a grotesque imitation of a habitat. Something shifts in the murk. His grip tightens on the rifle, knuckles pale, as his eyes find yours in the gloom.